45 lessons to pass on or just enjoy

45 Lessons: ENJOY!
1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 5. Pay off your credit cards every month. 6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. 7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone. 8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it. 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. 10. Love your parents because they will be gone before you know it. 11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present. 12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry 13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it. 15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.But don’t worry;God never blinks. 16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. 17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful. 18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger. 19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer. 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special. 22. Over prepare, then go with the flow. 23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple. 24. The most important sex organ is the brain. 25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. 26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:In five years,will this matter? 27. Always choose life. 28. Forgive everyone everything. 29. What other people think of you is none of your business. 30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. 31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch. 33. Believe in miracles. 34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do. 35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. 36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young. 37. Your children get only one childhood. 38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. 39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. 40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s,we’d grab ours back. 41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. 42. The best is yet to come. 43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. 44. Yield. 45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Long Island Real Estate – Un-Sold Home Inventory

The good news is that inventory is lower in all three counties in a year over year comparison; however, when you look at last year the inventory should be steadily declining until we hit a seasonal low in December but instead we see a small increase in all three counties. I am hoping that this is not a developing tread and it will see it flatten out or decrease next month.

First-time Buyers Get State Incentive

First-time home buyers in New York have an added incentive for entering the ownership market, thanks to a new tax credit equal to 20 percent of their annual mortgage interest.

The New York State Mortgage Credit Certificate, which lasts for the life of the loan, is projected to save some borrowers as much as $30,000 over the years. Eligible buyers must meet income criteria, take out a fixed-rate loan, and occupy the home as their primary residence.

Because the incentive can be used in conjunction with a federal tax credit of $8,000, which expires on Nov. 30, industry insiders believe it will sway many fence-sitters to take the plunge.

Source: Albany Times Union, Chris Churchill (08/11/09)

Clock running down on first-time home buyer tax credit

Tom Kraeutler


According to a news report by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the clock is running down on the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers. With less than four months to go, builders are urging qualified prospective buyers to start the sales process long before the Nov. 30 deadline.

Builders are also warning that faulty appraisals, completed using foreclosed properties as comparables for new homes, have been slowing down the sales process, creating hiccups in the financing stage that can often push the closing date much later than originally expected.

First-time buyers should also anticipate tighter lending standards that generally don't allow 100% financing, making buyers responsible for coming up with enough money prior to their purchase to meet required downpayment and closing costs.


The NAHB recommends young families considering becoming home owners start the process long before they put a bid on a new home. As part of that effort, builders can provide key educational information on the home buying process - including financing and closing - that buyers need to ensure that they occupy their new home in time to claim the tax credit.

For home buyers who need assistance with downpayment and closing costs, some state housing finance agencies are able to provide a short-term loan based on the home buyer's qualification for the federal tax credit.

Sixteen state housing finance agencies - in Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia - are participating in loan programs to help facilitate home sales for first-time home buyers in their area. Each state is different and qualifications and restrictions vary among the programs.

Builders say that home buyers should be warned, however, that there are organizations or individuals providing this service who are not legally permitted to do so. If the organization is a unit of state government, such as a state housing finance agency, it is safe to say that it is reputable. Otherwise, a home buyer should check with their local Better Business Bureau or through a state or local government's department of consumer affairs to ensure that the program they are working with is legitimate.

Although the tax credit has three requirements listed for home buyers to qualify - status as a first-time home buyer, time frame in which the home must be purchased, and income limits - it is sometimes not that simple. Specific situations - such as those involving the sale of a home between related individuals or prior ownership of a mobile home as a primary residence - may result in a buyer's disqualification from claiming the credit.

In a statement released last week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) warned taxpayers to beware of first-time home buyer tax credit fraud. Home buyers who may be unsure of their status on claiming the tax credit should seek professional advice from a certified public accountant or an enrolled agent licensed by the federal government.